"Awooooo—!"
A long, piercing howl split the stillness of the night sky.
It wasn't a simple cry—it was a summons, a call to the pack.
At that sound, the distant valley began to quake. The leaves on the ground were swept up into the air by the violent gusts raised by a fast-approaching horde of wolves.
The energy in the air rippled and churned, thick and oppressive.
"Prepare for battle!"
Xie Yue shouted, his voice sharp with urgency. The three immediately formed up, their backs together, assuming the familiar triangular formation they had drilled countless times before.
In the blink of an eye, their martial souls and soul rings flared to life.
Within moments, hundreds of Gale Demon Wolves had surrounded them from every direction.
Wild, savage eyes gleamed in the darkness—rows upon rows of fangs and claws flashed coldly under the moonlight, each wolf thirsting to tear the three soul masters to pieces.
Then, from within the pack, a colossal figure emerged.
This wolf was far larger than the others, its fur sleek and lustrous, every movement radiating restrained power. Its eyes burned not only with primal ferocity, but also with a king's natural dominance—sharp, cutting, regal.
That gaze, cold as a blade's edge, fixed on the three humans as if appraising their strength.
From the terrifying pressure emanating from its body, Yan instantly knew—
this was the Alpha, the Wolf King.
Sensing its aura more closely, Yan judged that the Wolf King possessed at least ten thousand years of cultivation.
Even worse, several other enormous wolves stood beside it—each nearly as strong, their power nearing the ten-thousand-year threshold as well.
The air seemed to freeze. Only the low growls of the wolves and the faint sound of three quickened breaths broke the silence.
All three of them knew perfectly well—
they stood no chance against this pack.
Xie Yue and Hu Liena could unleash their Martial Soul Fusion Skill, Enchanting Demon, a move of tremendous might. But its effective range was limited—nowhere near enough to envelop hundreds of Gale Demon Wolves.
And the fusion skill consumed immense soul power. Once it ended, both of them would be drained and defenseless.
Worse still, they had already expended some strength in their earlier battle; their soul power had not yet fully recovered.
In short, they were hopelessly outmatched.
Yan also knew that Bibi Dong held Hu Liena in great importance—she would never have allowed her to enter a place like the Death Canyon unprotected.
It was almost certain that Yue Guan (Chrysanthemum Douluo) and Gui Mei (Ghost Douluo) had been secretly assigned to guard her.
In a place like this, even one of those two Titled Douluo would be more than enough.
Perhaps one of them was hidden somewhere in the shadows at that very moment.
But with his current strength, Yan couldn't sense their presence at all.
Still, he could only hope. Even if they were nearby, they wouldn't interfere unless absolutely necessary.
"Liena," Xie Yue said quickly, "in a moment, use your invisibility and find a chance to escape."
"Yan—use your flames to open a path for us. We'll break through and retreat!"
The wolves' low growls were turning into a unified, mounting roar. The moment for action was fast approaching.
Hu Liena bit her lip, regret flickering in her eyes.
"Brother… this is all my fault. I shouldn't have provoked them."
"Now's not the time for that," Xie Yue said firmly. "Get ready."
And then—it began.
With a thunderous roar from the Wolf King, dozens of Gale Demon Wolves lunged forward, charging at terrifying speed.
They were so fast that Hu Liena didn't even have time to activate her prized Invisible Body.
Xie Yue gripped his Moon Blades tightly, preparing to meet the assault—
but before he could move, a fierce, burning gust swept over him.
Then—suddenly—he felt his entire body lift off the ground.
Hu Liena cried out in surprise as a tremendous force enveloped her as well, carrying her skyward.
It was Yan.
He had unfurled his Flame Wings.
Two magnificent, fiery wings—like those of a phoenix reborn in flame—spread wide behind him, glowing brilliantly against the night sky.
One arm wrapped firmly around Xie Yue, the other around Hu Liena. With a single powerful beat of those wings, Yan shot upward, soaring into the heavens.
The wind howled past their ears as the ground shrank rapidly beneath them.
The sudden flight left both Xie Yue and Hu Liena utterly stunned—their hearts pounded wildly in disbelief.
"Yan—you… you can fly?!" Xie Yue gasped, eyes wide in shock.
Yan's gaze remained steady, calm even in the face of the raging wind.
"I'll explain later. If you feel dizzy, just close your eyes."
His wings beat faster, sending them streaking across the night like a meteor.
Behind them, the Gale Demon Wolves howled furiously, but could do nothing—only watch helplessly as their prey escaped beyond their reach.
The rush of freedom, the relief of survival—it filled all three of them with a heady sense of exhilaration.
After flying for some time, Yan finally spotted a relatively safe clearing and descended.
When their feet touched the ground again, all three exhaled heavily in unison.
Hu Liena was still dazed, staring blankly at Yan as though seeing a stranger.
She couldn't believe how much he had changed in just two months.
"Yan," Xie Yue said at last, unable to hold back his curiosity, "what's with those wings?"
Yan replied calmly,
"They're an External Soul Bone—something I gained unexpectedly when I absorbed the soul ring of a Flying Flame Fox."
As he spoke, he slowly retracted the wings, the fiery glow fading into his back.
Both Xie Yue and Hu Liena exchanged shocked glances.
An external soul bone—such an unimaginably rare treasure—and Yan had acquired one.
"You actually obtained an external soul bone!" Xie Yue exclaimed. "That means… you can fly freely!"
His tone overflowed with awe—and just a trace of envy.
A soul master with flight possessed a tremendous advantage in battle.
Except for those born with bird-type martial souls, most soul masters couldn't achieve flight until reaching level 70 or higher.
With those Flame Wings, Yan's strength had risen dramatically—his combat potential now far exceeded theirs.
Both Xie Yue and Hu Liena could feel it—the gap between them and Yan had widened once again.
Hu Liena frowned slightly, her voice tinged with emotion.
"Yan… you obtained an external soul bone, yet you didn't tell us?"
There was a faint edge in her tone—somewhere between reproach, jealousy, and confusion.
She couldn't tell which feeling was stronger—only that she didn't like being left out.
In the past, if Yan had gained such a treasure, he would have run to her immediately, boasting, promising to use his new power to protect her.
But this time…
he had said nothing at all.
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